Events are sometimes halted due to avalanches, including last February at a competition in Austria.

Police said Balet was the second person to ride down the slope on Tuesday during filming.

She had been freed from the avalanche by the time emergency crews arrived.

France's Estelle Balet competing to win the wild face of "l'Aiguille Pourrie" during a stage of the Swatch Freeride World Tour in Chamonix (Image: Getty)

World champion Switzerland's Estelle Balet celebrating after she won the women's snowboard event at the Bec des Rosses during the Verbier Xtreme Freeride World Tour final above the Swiss Alps resort of Verbier (Image: Getty)

"Despite immdiate efforts to revive her, she died at the scene," police said. "An investigation has been started to determine the causes of the accident."

Balet, who is sponsored by the Swiss watchmaker Swatch, had been wearing a device meant to help locate people in avalanches, as well as a helmet and an airbag designed to increase the chances of surviving a snow slide.